Buckle



April 17, 1928. 1,666,529

c. J. DAHLGREN BUCKLE Filed Aug. 15, 1926 INVENTOR Mar/e55! Dally/av 7 ATTORNEY Patented A r; 17, 1928.

CHARLES .J. DAHLGRE ENT' OFFICE.

N; OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

BUCKLE.

Application filed Aug 11st 13, 1926. Serial No. 128,932.

This invention relates to buckles and particularly to that type in which the free end of the strap or belt may be passed. underneath both ends of the buckle framea nd over the fastening member of the buckle for concealing the fastening or gripping member and exposing the frame only to view.

My invention contemplates the provision of a simple frame and fastening member each adapted for economical manufacture in large quantities from sheet material. The fastening member is designed to be pivoted to the frame in such a way that movementof said member causes no movement of the strap or belt end which is permanently attached thereto. Simple and eflicient cooperating gripping elements are provided on the frame and on the fastening member for quickly and effectively securing the adjustable or free end of the strap or belt in the buckle without danger of clisplace1nent,'and without puncturing the material of the belt.

The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved buckle.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of thesame, showing a belt arranged in its secured position in the buckle.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same, and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a blank from .which the frame of my improved buckle may be made.

In the illustrated application of my invention, showing one of the practical embodiments thereof a blank as 10 is provided with a comparatively'large and substantially central opening 11 therein and with preferably circular side apertures as 12. One end 13 of the blank is made preferably about twice as wide as the other end 14 thereof, the sides 15 and 16 of the blank being made sub stantially alike. To form the finished frame. the sides 15 and 16 are bent at substantially right. angles to the face of the blank about the dotted lines 17 of Fig. 5 whereby the edges 18 and 19 of the respective sides are arranged in the opening 11.

\Vhen the buckle is secured to a belt in its.

adjusted position, said edges 18 and 19 join the ends 14and 24 to give a pleasing rectangular out-line to the face ofthe buckle frame, which is then the only part visible.

The blank end 13 is bent into substantially U-form in crosssection about a line nearer the inner edge 21 of the opening 11 than the extreme edge 22 of said end, whereby the upper arm or'end 24 forms the frame end,

and the lower arm 23 forms a ledge wider than and underneath the frame end 24. The inner edge 22 of the ledge 23 inwardly underhangs or projects beyondt-he edge 21 to a considerable extent, a space being provided between said frame end 24 and said ledge for receiving a portion of thelbelt to be gripped, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The swingable member 25 is preferably flat and of the same thickness throughout so that it may be readily stamped of sheet material. 'Sa'id member 25 is divided by the preferably rectangular slot 28 into a hinge bar as 26 and a belt-engaging bar as 27. The hinge bar 26 is somewhat narrower than the belt-engaging bar and forms one end of the slot 28, the other end of aid slot being formed by the bar '27. To provide means for pivoting the member 25 to the frame. side extensions as 29, preferably rectangular' in outline and in alignment with the hinge bar 26, extend'from' the sides'of said hinge bar and pass throughthe openings 12 in the frame sides 15' and .16. It

will be noted that by pivoting the member 25 at the sides of the hinge bar, said bar may readily be utilized for securing the end of a belt thereabout without danger of moving the secured end ofthe belt when the member 25 is manipulated. For making the connecting portions 30 or sides of the member 25 between the belt-engaging bar and the'hinge bar as narrow as possible without weakening said connecting portions, the slot 28'is made as long as possible. It therefore becomes possible to secure the belt end 33 to the hinge bar without mutilation of said belt end, and to use a beltor strap 35 of substantially the full width of'the inside of the frame. c

Along that end 34 of the member 25 furthest from the hinge bar, I prefer to make a' v series of shallow, curved, intersecting indentations as 31, whereby a series of obtuse points 32 are formed alongsaid end. The member 25 is adapted to swing about the 1o 1 than that of the opening pivotal extensions 29, and is made of sufficient length so that the points 32 just clear, or if preferred, just touch or reach the inner edge 21 of the frame end 2 1 during the rotative movement of said member. For preventing too easy swinging of said member and for aiding in the maintenance of said member in the belt locking position, the width thereof from side to side is made preferably exactly the same 11, whereby the side edges of the connecting portions 30 engage the inside faces of the frame sides and 16 and offer slight resistance to the final closing orbelt securing movement of said member. 7

I prefer to arrangethe hinge bar .26 at one side of, but near the center line of the buckle frame, whereby a space as 36, sufficiently large to allow both the secured end 33 and the free end 37 of the belt 35 to pass therethrough and under the frame en'd'l l;

Similarly, the slot 28 is made large enough to allow the belt end 38 to pass completely therethrough without mutilation and about the hinge bar 26, suitable stitching or other well known fastening means being used to form a secured loop 38 in the belt at said hinge bar.

To secure the free end 37 of the belt in adjusted position in the buckle, it is first passed under the ledge 23 and then past the points 32. The pivoted member25 is then pressed towards the ledge, whereupon the points 32 grip the material of the belt without going through or puncturing the belt and force the gripped portion into the space 39 between the frame end 24 and the ledge 23, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Since the I points 32pass very close to the inne'r edge 21 of the frame end 24, said points will be forced slightly into the belt, but cannot pierce through because of their dullness ,or obtuse. angle. The side portions may at the same time engage the sides 15. amjl 16 whereby the movement of the member 25 in either direction is slightly resisted. Tension on eitherend 33 01 37 of thebelt cannot loosen the belt, but instead causes the belt to beheld more firmly. The belt is not injured 'bythe dull points 32 through the frictional gripping action, which is nevertheless effective due to the double bend.

40 formed in the belt. To loosen the belt, the member 25 need only be pressed in a direction away from the ledge 23, whereby the pressure on thebend 40 is released without affecting the secured end 3 in anyway, since said end issecured onthe h nge bar about which the member 25is pivoted.

By making the frame end 24of the same width throughout, I am able to, utilize the full inside width of the buckle frame, so that abelt of the same width may be used therewith, whereby the pivoted member may as, or slightly greater the bar to which the secured end of the belt is attached, I attain important advantages as hereinbeforepointed out, and that various changes more or less obvious, and not necessary to be here set forth in detail may be made in the structure shown and 'described without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and the range of equivalents afforded by the appended claims.

I claim: 7

I 1. A buckle comprising a closed rectangular frame formed of a single piece of sheet material, depending apertured sides on said frame, a flat swingable member of the same thickness throughout, formed of a single piece of sheet material and'divided by a substantially rectangular opening therein into a long flat narrow hinge bar at. one side of said opening and a-wider belt engaging bar on the other side of said opening and having an outer edge adapted to engage a belt, and side extensions on said hinge bar passing through the apertures of said frame sides for pivoting said hinge bar to said frame in spaced relation to the end of said frame whereby said belt'engaging bar arranged almost in contact with the other end of said frame, and an unmutilated belt end may be passed under one end of the frame and over and about said hinge bar.

2. A bi'icklc compressing a closed frame formed of a single piece of sheet material, an end on said 'frame substantialiy shaped in cross section, including an upper arm ofthe same width tlirougl'iout and having astraigl'it continuous inner edge, a lower ledge projecting inwardly of the frame past the upper arm, a flat member of a e piece of sheet material pivoted to said frame between the ends of the frame, slightly pinjecting points at one end of said member of such length as just to reach the inner edge of said upper arm on the movement of said member for squeezing a portion of a belt passed between said points and the inner edge of" said upper arm therebet-ween, and aperturcd sides onsaid frame bent at sub stantially right angles to the face of said frame for receiving said pivoted member, the upper edges of said sides'and the upper faces of the ends of the frame all lying substantially. in the same plane.

3. A buckle comprising a frame, depending sides on said frame, and a swingable member formed of a single pieceof sheet 'material having an opening therein and insaid frame having continuous, straight and parallel inner edges, a hinge bar adjacent to one-end of the frame and extending across the inside of said frame from one side of said frame to the other and parallel to said end, integral extensions on said hinge bar align-ing therewith and journaled in the sides of said'frame, a clamping bar having belt engaging points projecting therefrom and cooperating with said frame for gripping the underside'of a belt only and for forming a fold in said belt, and narrow spaced parallel sides connecting said clamping bar and said hinge bar and providing a space therebetween, said hinge bar, clamping bar points, extensions and sides being all formed of a single piece of material,

5. A buckle comprising a closed frame having all points in one of the faces thereof lying substantially in the same plane, a sub st-antially centrally slotted rectangular member, dull obtuse points formed by shallow curved indentations in, and projecting from one of the long ends of said member, short extensions projecting beyond and substantially at right angles to the sides of said member and in alignment with the other end of said'member, pivoted to said frame between the ends thereof and a hinge bar adapted to receive an unmutilated end of a belt thereabout forming the other end of said member, extending between said extensions.

6. A buckle comprising av closed, centrally apertured frame having a substantially plane outer face, and a one-piece member having a slot therein and swingable entirely within the aperture of said frame for engaging both ends of a belt, comprising a belt gripping portion at one end of said member having an outer edge arranged in close proximity to, and to cooperate with, the frame end adjacent thereto for adjustably locking a belt in said frame between said outer edge and the inner edge of said frame end, a hinge bar at the other end of said member spaced inwardly from the other end of the frame and adapted to have the end of a belt secured thereabout, and means at the side extremities of and integralwith said bar passing through the sides of said frame for pivoting said member to said frame whereby movement of said member causes no movement of the belt end secured to said bar, relatively to said frame,"and whereby said member is completely concealed by the free end of the belt and the outer face of said frame is exposed to view.

7. A buckle comprising a one-piece frame of thin sheet material and a one-piece belt cngaging member of thin sheet material having a long, Wide slot therein and fiat on both faces thereof comprising a-hinge bar formed at one extreme end of said member, adapted to have a belt of substantially the inside width of the frame secured thereto, lugs integral with, and-projecting from the ends of the hinge bar and inserted into-said frame for rotative movement therein, and a belt engaging bar at the other end of said memher in spaced relation toand lying in. the

plane of said hinge bar and a belt engaging edge on' said belt engaging bar arranged to just clear all of the inner edge of said frame on the rotation of said member, whereby the belt end to be secured to said hinge bar may be passed through the slot in said member between said bars and whereby said member is completely concealed by the free end of the belt and theouter face of the frame is exposed to View, said hinge bar, slot, and belt engagingbar, all being arranged on the same side of said lugs.

. 8. A. buckle comprising a flat closed frame, a thin flat member of a single piece of thin sheet material for engaging the free end of a belt and for having the other end of the belt passed thereabout and secured thereto comprising a series of obtuse-angled, shallow points projecting slightly from one end thereof, narrow sides substantially perpendicular to and integral with said pointed end, a hinge bar at the ends of said sides, in spaced relation to and substantially parallel to said pointed end and about which an unmutilated end of a belt may be secured, and flat extensions on said hinge bar passing through and pivoted in the sides of said frame between the ends of said frame whereby said member is arranged for movement in said frame about said extensions as a pivot, and the secured end of the belt remains stationary on the movement of said member, and whereby said member is concealed by the free end of the belt and the entire outer face of the frame is exposed.

9. A buckle comprising a substantially rectangular closed frame of single piece of thin sheet metal having a substantially rectangular opening therein and having all points on the outer face thereof lying on the same plane, and amember pivoted in the sides of said frame, said member being composed of a single flat piece of sheet metal including a belt-engaging bar of greater Width than that of the endsof said frame, dull, obtuse angled, shallow points projecting from said bar up to the inner edge of the adjacent end of said frame, narrow sides on said member integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bar, and a bin e bar parallel to and in spaced relation to said belt-engaging bar, integral with said sides and adapted to have a belt end secured thereto, and extensions on said hinge bar projecting beyond said sides and journalled in the sides of said framebetween theends of said frame, whereby movement of said'member causes no movement of the belt end secured thereto, all of the points of the outer face of said member lying in a single plane parallel to the plane of the outer face of said frame when said member is in its belt-engaging position. 1 V

10. A buckle comprising a closed frame having an opening therein and having all points of the outer face thereof lying in the same plane, a ledge at one end of, bent out of the plane of, and substantially parallel to the outer face of, said frame, a straight inner edge on said frame forming one of the ends of the frame opening, a terminal edge on said ledge projecting inwardly past and in spaced relation to said inner edge, a swingable member, a hinge bar adapted to have a belt end secured thereto forming one end of said member pivoted in and between the ends of said frame, and means at the other end of said member cooperating with said inner edge and said ledge for adjustably gripping the free end of a belt.

" ll. A buckle comprising 'a'closed rectangular buckle frame formed of a blank of sheet material having a substantially rectangular opening therein, depending sides on said frame arranged with the thin edges thereof substantially in the plane of the face of the frame and having a pair of sideopenings therein, a bent end on said frame cornprising a flat upper frame end of substantially the same width throughout the entire length thereof as the other end of said frame, arranged with the face thereof substantially in the plane of the edges of said sides and substantially perpendicular to the wide surfaces of said sides and having astraight continuousinner edgelying in the plane of the face of saidframe, and a flat lower ledge bent from, substantially parallel to, and ex; tending inwardly past the inner edge of, said upper frame end,-and a second fiat end on said frame parallel to said first mentioned endand arranged in the plane of the face of said frame, and swingable means pivoted to said frame at the side openings of said depending sides and adapted to cooperate with said inner edge of the frame and the ledge for removably engaging a belt.

7 CHARLES J. DAHLGREN. 

